Will Hungary send a metalband to Lisbon?

Over the course of three quarter finals, Hungary has sent 18 participants through to the semies of their preselection A Dal. Biggest name of the competition is Viktor Király, however, he will meet a lot of rockbands in the competition.

For those of you who have missed the shows in Hungary so far. You could catch up by reading our reviews and results articles HERE. However, if you do not have time for that, we’ve summarized the most important acts for you in this article.

Out of the 18 acts that are still in the competition, we’ve selected the TOP-6 including the winners of all three quarter finals. These are the acts we think have the best chance to represent Hungary in the 2018 Eurovision Song Contest in Lisbon:

Leander Kills – Nem szól harang – (winner QF1, 44 points)

After their successful semi-final run of last year, rockband Leander Kills returned to A Dal with an even “tougher” song. “Nem Szól Harang” is a metal entry complete with pace changes and grunting vocals. During the quarter finals, it was performed vocally solid. However, the simple band line-up did not add anything special to the performance visually. Red flames were displayed in the backdrop while the lead singer looked into the camera confidently. Leander Kills did not win the jury vote, nor the app vote, but over all they were on top of the scoreboard.

AWS – Viszlát Nyár – (winner QF2, 45 points)

Hungary has always had a slight tendency toward alternative music, but the fact that the second quarter final was again won by a metalband, can be seen as quite a surprise. AWS is a big name in the rock music scene in Hungary. They take part with a slightly more energetic song than Leander Kills. “Viszlát Nyár” (Goodbye Summer) has a more recognizable build-up and could therefore attract a wider audience. Vocally, AWS’ lead singer struggled slightly in the verses. In terms of staging, AWS uses similar flames in the backdrop, however, they add a lot more smoke to this on stage while the drumset and the army jackets complete the package. Also it is worth noting that while AWS finished second in the jury vote, they won the app vote with a really high score.

This entry is certainly something completely different from the previous quarter final winners. Three popular theatre stars in Hungary, singing an old fashioned musical ballad. It certainly fits their repertoire and vocals are good. A man and a woman are singing while a third man plays the piano. Moonlight in the blue backdrop. Later on, colourful lights brighten up the stage. This song is not too original though, and while the trio scored the highest jury score of all three quarter finals, they do not seem particularly popular with the audience.

Viktor Király – Budapest Girl – (3rd place in QF1, 43 points)

American trained singer Viktor Király is the biggest name in the competition. He won talent show Megasztár in Hungary in 2008, and reached the last 24 in The Voice of America in 2015. In between, he had scored four number-1-hits in Hungarian charts. This year, he returns to A Dal with a cheerful, quiet, acoustic pop song. “Budapest Girl” is sung completely in English and it sounds sweet, catchy albeit slightly generic. Vocally, Viktor Király nailed his first performance. He sits on a stool with a guitar in his hand. Not all the jury members were equally enthusiastic about it yet, however, “Budapest Girl” topped the app vote in the first quarter final.

yesyes – I Let You Run Away (3rd place in QF2, 43 points)

Another big name in the line-up is Ádam Szabó, who finished runner-up in A Dal 2015 to Boggie. This year he returns as lead singer of the rock group yesyes. And although Ádam was struggling vocally in the first run, we have to keep in mind that he will most likely improve during the next few rounds. Lots of dry ice on stage during this English language rock ballad in the style of The Script. Ádam Szabó finished second in the app vote right after AWS.

Gergely Dánielfy – Azt mondtad (2nd place in QF2, 45 points)

Much to everyone’s surprise, newcomer Gergely Dánielfy won the jury vote in the second quarter final. His song is completely different from everything else. Especially when compared to the aggressive rock of some of his competitors, “Azt Mondtad” stands out. It is a very quiet acoustic song, played with only two instruments: acoustic guitar and violin. Sounds like something you would hear on a warm summer night, when you’re having dinner on an outside terrace somewhere in the heart of Budapest. Emotional, well-sung and an outsider for victory if he can convince the home audience.